This question came from Jenn S: I would love to know how you come up with different plots — I mean, how do you make it so that your stories don’t all sound like they’re cut & paste from the same “formula”?
Thanks for your question, Jenn! I think the important part in coming up with new stories is asking myself the question – would I care? Would I want to know about this person/situation/plot/emotional drama, etc. There are SO many stories out there, and I have to spend about four –six months with a story, so I want to write stories that will intrigue me first, and cause me to wonder how they turn out. This is why I write about interesting professions (like a Bush pilot, or a K9 Dog trainer, or even a spy), or interesting locales (Alaska, Russia, Taiwan), or even interesting plots (what would happen if someone attacked the pipeline in Alaska?). And then, if I plot the book according to the characters’ deepest needs and fears (something I talk about in my classes), then I’m creating a plot that is as pure and character-driven as I can.
So, I suppose you can say, a story has to catch my interest before I can write about it. Thank you for the great question!
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